


Koi No Yokan

by WishingOnWhishaw



Category: Game Grumps
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - High School, Bad Boy Danny, High School, M/M, Nerd Arin, Teenagers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-09-02
Updated: 2015-10-21
Packaged: 2018-04-18 17:47:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 10,424
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4714853
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WishingOnWhishaw/pseuds/WishingOnWhishaw
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Dan Avidan is the school's renowned rebel, with his ripped jeans and black eye liner, his moody disinterest and bad boy reputation. Most people avoid him when possible, so it comes as quite a shock when he befriends Arin Hanson, of all people. Perhaps the most surprised is Arin himself, who has only ever been teased for liking anime and drawing and the colour pink. Is it true that opposites attract, or are Danny and Arin just too different to make a friendship work?</p><p>Egobang high school AU, inspired by Dan's role the 'I Burgie Burgie' commercial.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hey, I'm finally posting this!! As soon as I watched the video with angsty teenage Dan I had this idea, and couldn't resist writing it up. I'm super excited about this AU, and already have a few of the chapters written that I'll stagger the posting of whilst I work on later ones. I have no idea how long this is gonna be, but it's gonna be good. The rating will probably go up as the story develops. I hope it's as fun to read as it is to write!

In terms of high school reputations, Dan Avidan had a somewhat bad one, and he was definitely one of the cool kids. Not a jock, and not exactly popular either, in that he didn’t have a ton of friends who fought for his attention. In fact, most people were scared to even look at or approach him, let alone strike up a conversation with the guy. But it was this reputation that made people look up to him, his bad boy loner look being what made him cool in the eyes of his peers. He was tall and skinny, his hair grown out and messy most of the time. Dark eye liner was always smeared across his lower lids, making him way more attractive to all those girls who swooned when they saw him in the hallways. Sometimes he painted his nails black if he felt like it, and on his particularly rebellious days he even wore black lipstick, daring each teacher he saw to make him take it off, and none of them ever did. Dressed in his skinny jeans and band tees, his leather jacket and his running shoes that anyone else would be fucking ridiculed for wearing. In fact, most of the things Danny liked and wore, if they had been traits of someone else, would be the cause of relentless bullying, but nobody dared to tease Dan about the fact he wore make up or unfashionable sneakers or because he listened to weird music. Most people, if they weren’t his friends, avoided talking to him altogether. Until Arin Hanson came along.  


* * *

  
“Watch where you’re fucking going man,” Danny heard the kid say, clearly irritated at the fact Dan had just rounded a corner and walked straight into him. Dan heard the things the other person was holding clattering to the ground, the sound of pencils rolling over the linoleum floor of the hallway, one clinking against a locker and coming to a stop. There was a quiet thud as the small stack of books fell, a groan of frustration contrasted against the soft rustle of stray papers that drifted to their feet. Really, whoever this guy was, he had every right to be pissed at Dan.

  
“Sorry I can’t see through walls,” Dan quipped back sarcastically, but he knelt down to help pick up the things he’d cause the boy to drop. The younger kid scowled, batting his hands away as Danny reached for what seemed to be a sketch book. It was bad enough that he’d dropped all this stuff from walking into someone; the last thing he needed now was some senior flicking through his drawings and mocking him too.  
  
“Don’t touch that!” He snapped, quickly picking it up and moving it out of Dan’s reach, back to the safety of Arin’s arms. It was then that they really looked at each other, Arin’s eyes narrowing as he gazed up at the face of the dude who had barged into him. He knew there was only one guy in their school who wore eye make up as heavy as that. The anger he’d felt at being knocked over only seemed to grow now he knew who it was that had run into him. “Just because you think you’re cool doesn’t mean you get to go around knocking people over when you feel like it.”  
  
“Dude, c’mon, you think I’d do this on purpose?” Dan chuckled, unable to help but like this boy who didn’t give a shit about his reputation, wasn’t suddenly scared or intimidated by him. It made a  nice change, especially now, when Dan knew if their positions were reversed he’d be mad about some idiot who ran around corners with no concern for anyone else. His laugh, however, made Arin’s anger bubble, his jaw clenching as gathered the papers that had fanned out around them, reluctantly taking the pages Dan held out and scowling at the look of amusement. There was nothing more irritating than being given that smile when you were angry, the feeling that you weren’t being taken seriously. Not that Arin expected any more from the school’s resident bad boy with an attitude problem.  
  
“I don’t know, you seem kinda like a jackass,” the younger teen replied honestly, shrugging one shoulder and taking the final stray pieces of paper Dan held out for him. He was snappy, wanting to get away as quickly as possible, but the two had conflicting plans here. Dan was grinning further at how blunt this kid was, amused by the balls he had compared to most other people. It was refreshing, to have a stranger talk to him, and to insult him too, without worrying about getting their ass kicked for it. Not that Dan had ever actually kicked someone’s ass or given reason to think that he would, but that was besides the point  
  
“Because I walked into you?”  
  
“Because everyone’s too shit scared to look your way. You must be a pretty big dick if nobody wants to talk to you.”  
  
“You’re talking to me,” Danny pointed out, still smiling, his look of amusement only growing as their conversation went on, much to Arin’s chagrin and even though Dan hated himself for it, for looking like he cared for this stranger. So much for looking like a tough guy, he mused. But he could afford to let the charade slip for a little while, if it was for the sake of this entertaining conversation with the boy who’d caught Danny’s interest.   
  
“I’m used to dealing with jackasses, one more isn’t going to bother me,” the kid announced, getting to his feet. Dan followed suit, looking down and appreciating just how cute this guy was. His hair was grown out, long enough for it to be pulled back into a ponytail, and he had a streak of blond dyed into one side. His eyes were gorgeous, and Dan had to quickly look away from those lips before he could let his thought run away from him with the image. He was really beautiful, and it made Dan wonder who the hell was acting like an asshole to this guy so frequently that he expected the same off everyone else he met. It pissed Danny off that anyone would dare try to upset the stubborn, outspoken guy with his cute anime backpack and pink pencil case.   
  
“What if I can prove to you that I’m not actually a jackass?”  
  
“What are you talking about?” Came the reply, Arin’s eyes narrowed skeptically. He didn’t know what the guy was playing at, wary of the punchline he knew had to be coming from the situation. Dan didn’t know himself what he was doing, playing the whole thing by ear and hoping he could do something to guarantee he’d see Arin again, that he wouldn’t be hated by his younger peer before they even got a chance at being friends. Danny didn’t even know why he craved it so much, what it was about this one guy which caught his interest. Dan had met plenty of people, had a few close friends of his own, but he’d never longed to get to know someone like he did now, had never craved conversations and longed for information. His friendships weren’t sought after, were just things that naturally bloomed and grew to a closeness as Dan spent time with people he liked being around. But Danny couldn’t shake the feeling that he had to keep Arin, had to know him, so he was going to do his best to put them on good terms, to give himself the best possible chance to befriend this cute kid with the unexpected temper who had so caught Danny’s attention.  
  
“Well it seems to me like you’re making assumptions based on what some other idiot has told you. How about you get to know me a little better, and then decide for yourself if I really am as much of a dick as you think I am?”  
  
“You… Want me to make friends with you?” The artist asked, not believing what he was hearing. There had to be a catch, some ulterior motive that Dan had which ran under the request. But he was charming and his smile seemed genuine, and really, what had he ever done to Arin personally besides bumping into him on what he claimed to be an accent. Arin dealt with enough douchebags to know how to avoid being one, and he wanted to at least give Dan a chance to prove this to him.  
  
“Yeah, sure! I’m Danny,” he said, offering a hand. “Nice to meet you-”  
  
“Arin,” he cut in, taking the hand and giving it a quick shake.  
  
“Cute name,” Dan nodded, pleased that they seemed to be moving in the right direction. He only wished they weren’t stood in a school hallway in the middle of the day, so Dan could actually have a decent conversation with Arin, here and now. Sadly, Dan had to get home and he was pretty sure Arin had classes he should be in right now. Some other time, he thought to himself. He’d have to let Arin slip away for now, but Dan would get him again, would make Arin see he wasn’t as bad as everyone perceived him to be. “Well, I got places to be. See you around, Arin,” he said, tucking a lock of hair behind the younger boy’s ear just because he could help himself, flashing a parting smile and daring a playful wink before carrying on down the hall. Arin’s mouth fell open as soon as Dan left, and he turned to watch his back retreating, wondering what the hell had just happened and if he was dreaming.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, look, another chapter! It's not really an incredibly eventful one; just to push the plot forward, but there's some important conversation. Sorry if it's too boring, I promise more happens in the next update!
> 
> As always, constructive criticism and/or praise is welcome.

Arin didn’t see Dan at all after their literal run in for a long time. And by long time, Arin meant at least a week. Nearly two weeks, in fact. It was strange, because he’d seen Dan hanging around the school on numerous occasions before now, hence how Arin had recognised him when they met in the hallway. But now that he was sort of looking for him, waiting for Dan to crop up again and be way too nice to him, Arin hadn’t seen a trace of the guy. And he wasn’t exactly hard to spot, with his height and his wild hair that made him stick out like a sore thumb. So, Arin had forgotten about the whole exchange, wondering why he thought even for a moment that someone like Dan would wanna waste their time befriending Arin when nobody else at this damn school could be bothered to. 

He’d had another fairly rough day at school, still seething from the older kid who’d got hold of one of Arin’s drawings and ripped it up. He was too angry to get upset over it, and the only tears he’d had were ones of frustration at the fact that particular piece had taken him a long time to get right and now he’d have to do it all over again. 

Arin had hid in the bathroom when school let out, waiting ten minutes to avoid the rush of students eager to get out of here, and hoping that he’d be able to leave and walk home in peace. As he thought, there was nobody around when he left, aside from a few other stragglers who paid him no attention. Arin thought for a brief moment that he was fine, and then:

“Arin!” A voice called a way away, and the artist quickly turned from the sound, headed in the opposite direction without even checking who it was. It wasn’t a voice he recognised, meaning it was probably a friend of the guy from earlier who’d been waiting to catch him and taunt him some more. His pace was quick and his head lowered, hoping if he went on like nothing had happened, the mystery guy would at least decide he wasn’t worth chasing right now and come after him tomorrow instead. Arin had no such luck,heard fast paced footsteps coming up behind up and the owner yelled, “Hey, wait up!”

“Haven’t you-” Arin started, turning around and ready to give the guy a piece of his mind. He stopped dead in his tracks when he realised exactly who had been following him, eyes wide and betraying how he was startled. “Oh. Danny.”

“Yeah, man, I was waiting for you. You avoiding me?”

“I thought you were the one avoiding me,” came the reply, bitter, and Arin turned to keep walking. His momentary relief and excitement at seeing Dan again, about being saf from the bullies had gone, and now all Arin could think of was the fact this apparently nice dude who wanted to be his friend hadn’t even seen him in nearly a fortnight. Dan frowned softly, oblivious to the reason of Arin’s anger and to his own wrongdoing, fell into step beside Arin.

“The fuck would I wanna do that for?”

“Because you realised you can’t risk being seen around such a massive loser,” Arin snorted, well aware of how poorly his reputation stood up against Dan’s. He wasn’t usually someone to pay attention to such things; didn’t care what everyone else at that shitty school thought about him, or anyone else for that matter. The only reason Arin got shit was because of the things he liked, the clothes he wore and the things he drew. But they were the things that made Arin happy, so he didn’t care, wouldn’t let other people dictate to him what he should and shouldn’t like. Arin had guessed Dan found out who he was, that he was the go to target for bullies and assholes and the senior had realised associating himself with a kid who likes anime and glittery nail polish was a sure fire way to lose all the respect he had from his peers. Arin knew Dan was way out of his league, and he hadn’t been naïve enough to believe the older guy would actually seek out his friendship, that Danny had any genuine interest in talking to him let alone in them spending time together.

“Dude, you’re kidding, right? You’ve got a Sailor Moon backpack; that’s the opposite of loser.”

“Oh yeah, original,” Arin snorted. “Make fun of my bag. Get lost, Danny. I already get enough shit from asshole seniors who think they’re better than me.” Danny fell behind after that, frozen in shock for a brief moment and Arin thought he’d given up. Then there were rapid footsteps again, and the younger teen groaned under his breath, glared when Danny stepped in front of him, blocking his path. “Can’t you fucking hear?” He snapped, trying to walk around Dan, but he was quick, stepped and held out lanky arms which blocked Arin off completely.

“Loud and clear. I heard you saying there are fucking idiots at our school that think it’s okay to be a jerk to someone as cute as you over something as trivial as a rucksack. But I’m not one of them, and if I find them they’re gonna pay.”

“I can handle it,” Arin said stubbornly, still not ready to forgive Dan, still not trusting him. “Will you let me go home now?”

“Before I’ve asked you out?” Dan chuckled. “No goddamn way.” Arin actually looked surprised at that, staring at Dan with a shocked expression before he snapped his mouth shut, eyes narrowed in suspicion.

“This is the second time you’ve spoken to me, and you’re asking me on a date?”

“Well, it doesn’t have to be a date,” Danny shrugged, stuffing his hands back into his pockets, the poster child for nonchalance as he stood there. “If you don’t want it to be. I just meant, y’know. We can hang out, talk and stuff without one of us needing to dash off. You can see I’m not a total dick, and I can further confirm that you’re not a loser. Sound good?”

“What did you have in mind?” Arin tested, still not sounding convinced.

“My buddy’s band has a gig tonight, at the the Railway. I got tickets, if you wanna join me?”

“You wanna take me to a concert?”

“Hey, it’s nothing huge,” Dan backtracked, not wanting Arin to think it was a big deal. “I mean, it’s the Railway, so y’know how it is.”

“I don’t, actually,” Arin replied, only sounding slightly bitter now as he finally managed to get past Dan and continue his walk home, allowing the other boy to walk on beside him. “I’ve never been.”

“Oh dude, it’s pretty cool, you’ll love it,” Dan said, betraying just the slightest bit of excitement in his voice. “But anyway, they have local indie bands or whatever there pretty often, it’s cool as shit. And the band doesn’t actually suck ass, so that’s a bonus. And trust me, I’m not just saying that because of my friend; if they were awful, I wouldn’t bother taking you. First impressions and all that.”

“I think you fucked up the whole ‘good first impression’ thing when you literally ran into me,” Arin teased, his anger from before having dissipated, replaced with a small nervous energy that settled in the bottom of his stomach at the thought of going out with Danny on what he hadn’t outright said wasn’t a date. What was Arin’s life becoming where he even got asked to such things, let alone had to consider whether or not he wanted to spend his night with their night school’s notorious bad boy. Maybe bad boy was a bit of an overstatement. Punk? Danny gave the impression of someone who would happily be called a punk.

“Earth to Arin Hanson?” Dan laughed, waving a hand in front of his friends face. “I didn’t give you some sort of head injury when I did that, right?”

“You know my surname,” Arin observed, blinking back into a state of greater awareness.

“Yeah I know your fucking last name, you dork,” Dan laughed, not bothering to hide the fond smile that tugged at his lips. Arin caught it too, when he turned to scowl at Danny and stopped when he saw way too much adoration than was probably acceptable given how little they knew of one another. “You think I go around asking out guys I don’t even know the name of?”

“If anyone was gonna be that type…” Arin chuckled, unsure what to make of Dan. It was quickly becoming apparent that most of the reputation he had was utter horse shit, at least from what Arin had seen of him. Dan didn’t seem all that tough, not enough to warrant every damn person to be scared of him, and the thought of Dan beating anyone up after Arin had just seen that stupidly cute smile was just comical. Still, Danny must have done something Arin wasn’t aware of for him to have gained this air of fear and respect around him. It wasn’t a huge leap to assume if the rumours were true, if he smoked and skipped class and got into fights, that he’d also be the kind of guy to hook up with strangers he didn’t know the names of.

“You have a really low bar set for me, huh?” Dan replied, not amused now, but not angry either. Arin couldn’t read his tone of voice, it being too neutral, and Danny was glad that his disappointment seemed to go unobserved.

“Hey man, it’s like you said, I don’t know you. And it’s not even like, y’know. If you wanna do that, fine, I don’t have a problem. It’s your life, and all. I just meant you seem like tough fucking cookie.”

“Cookies are good, right?” Dan asked, that joking tone back in an attempt to lighten the mood again. It worked; he and Arin both laughed as they turned the corner onto Arin’s street, causing him to marvel at how quickly his walk home seemed to pass when he wasn’t alone.

“Yeah, dude, I like cookies.”

“Sweet! And you like bands right?”

“They’re pretty cool, too. Sometimes”

“Alright!” Danny exclaimed. “So you’re coming then?”

“I don’t think that’s what I said,” came Arin’s replying, smirking to himself at their teasing.

“I didn’t hear a no, so is that a yes?”

“Only because I’m feeling particularly generous,” Arin conceded. 

“Not because I’ve been a true gentleman and walked you home?” Dan pouted, continuing on right up to Arin’s driveway. After all, he needed to know where the guy lived.

“It’s 2:30 in the afternoon, I don’t think your protection was necessary, kind Sir,” he replied, adding the last part on with a dramatic voice, grinning as Danny cracked up again. Arin made a mental note to keep making Dan laugh; the sound beautiful and melodic, an infectious kind of laugh that Arin was quickly falling for. And he hated himself for it, because goddamn it, he barely knew this guy. But Dan was turning out to be okay so far, so Arin would allow himself small indulgences like relishing in the sound of a happy Dan.

“You can never be too careful,” the man in question chuckled. “Anyway, I should be getting home myself. I’ll pick you up at seven, okay?” He asked, getting a shy smile and a nod from Arin who turned, walked up to his driveway and gave Dan a small wave before stepping into his house, shutting the door and letting out a heavy sigh. He was fucked.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Good lord, this took me a while. I've had the bulk of this written for ages and just needed to tie it all up. Chapter four is in a similar place, but that's muuuuch closer to being done, so hopefully there won't be as big a wait for that. I hope this is worth it, and that you all enjoy as usual!

Arin had dressed in what he deemed to be the best and only suitable outfit he owned to wear on his not date with Dan, a simple pair of jeans with sneakers and a black shirt with a colourful Wind Waker design on the front. He told himself he wasn’t nervous, even when he was ready more than half an hour early, only managing to keep from pacing the floor by playing on his DS whilst he waited for Dan to arrive. He was sat on the couch, his mother in the kitchen smiling to herself about the fact Arin was actually getting out of the house for the evening, instead of staying hauled up in his room drawing or playing video games. He hadn’t told her who he was going out with, and so she didn’t push, decided to let him go on his ‘not a date, mom, we’re just hanging out!’ and tell her when he felt ready. Maurette had her suspicions enough, but there was no need to try and force it out of him, not when it was so rare for Arin  to have friends anyway, let alone ones that took him on dates that weren’t really dates. She was just happy to see her son wasn’t lonely.  
  
The sound of a car came from outside, and Arin heard the engine cut out, the muffled thuds of a door closing. At exactly seven o’clock there was a knock at the door and Arin jumped up, ran to answer it before his mother could get there, fearing what she’d say about Dan, about the night he had planned, what he may say to her in response.  
  
“Hey,” Arin sighed, slightly breathless from rushing to greet him.The corners of Danny’s mouth twitched in amusement, and there was a fondness in his eyes as he tried not to laugh, held back his comments about Arin’s flushed cheeks and how endearing they were. Arin, in turn, missed the warmth glowing in Dan’s face, that telling glint to his eyes, to his smile, too preoccupied with looking over his new friend’s outfit, comparing it to his own in an attempt to quell his anxiety. It worked. Dan was dressed in a similar fashion, his usual ripped jeans and leather jacket over a faded shirt and coupled with those running shoes only Dan could get away with wearing.  
  
“Hey man,” Dan greeted in response, trying to not seem nervous himself and doing a terrible job at hiding a small smirk that came from the fact he’d totally caught Arin checking him out, though Dan himself was just as guilty on that front, so he couldn’t really say anything. “You ready to go?”  
  
“Sure, let me just grab my jacket,” Arin said, dashing back inside to grab his hoodie and yell to his mom that he was going before getting back to Dan, telling himself that he was rushing to avoid being a nuisance rather than because of the excitement he was starting to feel now. Dan was still smiling softly, a look of fondness that he apparently couldn’t help when he was around Arin. He said nothing, instead leading them over to his car and opening the passenger side door for the younger teen.  
  
“Your carriage, Sir,” he announced in an overly exaggerated posh accent, making Arin laugh and shake his head as he climbed in. Danny closed the door and Arin waited for him to come around and get in his side before speaking.  
  
“Still playing the gentleman?” he teased.  
  
“Please,” Dan scoffed, starting the car up and pulling out of Arin’s street. “I don’t need to play anything. I’ll have you know I am the true embodiment of chivalry.”  
  
“That remains to be seen,” Arin muttered playfully, under his breath, getting a soft nudge to the arm from Dan’s elbow for the comment.  
  
“Watch it Hanson, I’m your ride home,” Danny warned, the both of them knowing the threat was empty, and Arin breathed out another soft laugh, feeling like he could easily get used to Dan’s sense of humour.   
  
The conversation lapsed and they fell into a comfortable silence as Dan drove them to the Railway, Arin watching out of his window at the scenery which gradually got less and less familiar. At some point, Dan turned on the stereo, and so Arin listened intently to the music his new friend (were they even friends yet?) liked. It was strange, not in a bad way, just different to anything Arin had ever heard before. He was too scared to ask Danny who they were, for fear of looking like an idiot for never having come across this band that Dan seeme to like so much. So, instead, he sat and listened to heavy drum beats and killer guitar solos, enjoyed Dan’s quiet humming over the oddly poetic lyrics.  
  
Finally arrived, and Dan parked the car in front of old looking building in an odd shape, red bricked with tall windows all around, on the ground and first floors. He got out of the car and Arin followed suit, going around to meet back up with him.  
  
“You said you’ve never been here before?” Dan asked, turned to Arin who was still looking up at the building, studying it and trying to figure out how this ended up as a small town concert venue.  
  
“Nope, never.”  
  
“It’s different, huh?” Laughed Dan, hands in his pockets as he followed suit, admired the building and waited for Arin to finish studying the industrial structure before them, it’s old signs on the outside walls and the odd shape, the history before his eyes. It was the last thing he’d expected when Dan had said they were going to a concert.  
  
“Different, surprising. I’m intrigued,” Arin admitted, causing Dan to grin and loop his arm through the other teen’s.  
  
“Then let’s get inside!” He exclaimed, leading Arin away from the parking lot and around a corner, up the path towards the long, green canopy which extended out from above what Arin presumed was the entrance. Danny kept their arms locked together as he pushed past the few people already waiting, the bouncer recognising him as close friend of the band’s and letting him through.  
  
“Who’s this?” The large man asked curiously, nodding at Arin who felt oddly nervous under the bouncer’s gaze.  
  
“Just a friend of mine,” Danny shrugged, honest enough and not really wanting to waste his night chatting with Rico all night when he should be focused on Arin. Luckily, the man didn’t push any further, letting the two boys in so they could get to the front  of the floor, right up by the stage, which was situated at the far end of the room to their left. Off to the right, at the other end of the room, was the bar with a mezzanine over it which stretched down the sides of the room and offered a sort of viewing platform. This was clearly a recent addition, though the industrial steel it was made up of meant it fit right in here. The floor was just plain concrete, and the ceiling was high, allowing you to see the top and bottom windows which stretched to the roof of the building. Arin had never seen a place like it, and spent what was probably far too long looking around and enjoying the old, industrial feel and unusual design.  
  
“This is really cool,” he murmured eventually, causing Dan to laugh, look around at the mostly empty space and shrug one of his shoulders.  
  
“I mean, it’s nothing special.”  
  
“Because you come here all the time.”  
  
“I guess,” Dan conceded, still not understanding what Arin could see in the place, but he let that go. “You want a drink?”  
  
“Uh, a coke would be great,” he replied, and Dan nodded before walking off, then seeming to remember himself, spinning back around to face the younger boy.  
  
“Wander around for a little; check the place out,” he instructed, having seen how intrigued Arin was before. “I’ll come find you.” And then he had turned around again, walking off to the bar and leaving Arin alone.  
  
He took the opportunity, went the opposite direction to check out the stage, already set up with a drum kit, amps and a keyboard along with microphone stands. He leaned against the raised platform, looked down the long room at the bar, up at the mezzanine, which he could now see housed some kind of lounge, with a number of sofas and a mini bar. He was taking in the atmosphere, studying the lighting rigs and unusual shape of the building, and so didn’t hear someone come up beside him and sit on the stage.  
  
“Haven’t seen you here before,” the guy said in greeting, causing Arin to jump in surprise and the stranger to chuckle, only making Arin scowl further as he turned to look at him. “Sorry man, didn’t mean to spook you.”  
  
“It’s fine,” Arin replied, somewhat defensively, wondering who the hell this guy was and why he was here talking to Arin. He looked way too happy for Arin’s liking, big glasses framing his blue eyes, dark brown hair cut short and what little of a fringe he had was brushed to the side. He was dressed in a simple pair of jeans and a worn grey T-shirt with a logo on the breast that Arin didn’t recognise; nothing about him particularly catching Arin’s attention, other than he was here and speaking to him.  
  
“So, who you here with?” The mystery teen asked, swinging his legs from where he sat on the stage, looking around the room and trying to figure out who this kid had gotten in with.  
  
“A friend,” was all Arin had to offer in reply, wary of the attention he was being given. Luckily, he didn’t need to encounter further interrogation, as he spotted Dan on his way over with their drinks, raising one of his occupied arms in greeting. The other guy saw his wave, smirked and shot Dan a knowing look as he approached.  
  
“Hey Dan,” he said in a sing-song voice, a cheshire grin on his face that had the lanky teen rolling his eyes.  
  
“What are you doing, asshole?” Was all Dan offered in response, but Arin could tell by his tone that there was no real hostility between these two, accepted his drink and looked between them curiously.  
  
“Oh, just chatting to this friendly guy here, totally not being mean, I swear.”  
  
“I’m so sorry about him,” Dan said sincerely as he looked back to Arin, making the youngest of the three furrow his brow in confusion. “Brian’s a dick.”  
  
“ _That’s_ why you love me!” Brian, apparently, exclaimed, his smirk even bigger now. “And all this time I thought you stuck around for my great personality.”  
  
“He’s the bandmate friend I told you about,” Dan explained further, completely ignoring the jibes Brian was making at him and hoping he hadn’t completely freaked Arin out. In truth, Arin was just a little overwhelmed at feeling included, about being around people who spoke to him without the usual insults. It was nice, even if this Brian guy was a bit of a character.  
  
“Nice to meet you,” Arin said with a nod in the new guy’s direction, taking the twitch at the corner of Brian’s lips as a good sign.  
  
“Pleasure is _all_ mine,” Brian insisted, not getting to say anything else other than a loud: “Ouch!” As Danny punched him in the arm, jokingly, but still hard enough to get his point across.  
  
“Shut up,” he grumbled, shooting Arin another apologetic look. The last thing he needed was Brian hitting on Arin when he was trying to impress the guy himself. And Brian dropping corny pickup lines was anything _but_ impressive, so Dan would make every effort he could to keep those at bay.  
  
“”Buzz kill,” Brian grumbled under his breath, but he didn’t say anything else, instead he just snatched up Dan’s drink and took a generous swig, frowning as he gave it back. “There’s nothing in there,” he commented.  
  
“There’s coke in there,” Dan shrugged, not appreciating the look of disappointment Brian was giving him. Arin stood silent, looking between the two, wondering if they’d forgotten that he was actually here with them. “We don’t all like to get wrecked when we have school the next day.”  
  
“Just don’t go to school,” Brian said, as if it were the simplest thing in the world. Arin thought it probably was for somebody like Danny, not when it was now apparent that he and Brian drank alcohol, and Arin had to wonder how many of the rumours about this guy were true.  
  
“Like you’d ever skip class, nerd,” Dan retorted, the last word uttered with a sort of fondness that had Arin questioning the exact nature of their relationship. Though, in fairness, he’d heard Dan speak to him in a similar tone, and they barely knew each other, so that wasn’t the best judge of his feelings, he supposed.   
  
“I’ll have you know I skipped class just last week,” Brian defended with a huff, arms folded across his chest.  
  
“You went to a science fair at the community college, after picking up the work you were going to miss that day,” Dan retorted with a grin, causing Arin to snigger beside him into his drink, trying to cover it up with a fake cough. Brian’s head whipped around, glaring at the new addition to their little group in a way that the youngest boy honestly found a little intimidating. Those blue eyes were piercing when they were fixed on you, accompanied with Brian’s unreadable expression. Finally he broke, turning back to Dan with a scowl.  
  
“Not cool, Avidan,” he said, pointing an accusatory finger at Danny, which only had him cracking up further.  
  
“Whatever man,” Dan said when his laughter ceased enough, “Shouldn’t you be backstage right now, getting ready?”  
  
“Are you my manager now or something?” Brian scoffed, but he still hopped down off the stage, brushed off his jeans casually and looked back to Arin, unable to keep from smirking a little. “It was great to meet you. Hope you enjoy the show.”  
  
“I’m sure I will. Thanks,” Arin mumbled, flushed from the attention, and Brian’s grin grew, practically gloating when he looked back at Dan.  
  
“You always enjoy watching me, so I won’t say the same to you.”  
  
“You are wrong and I hate looking at your dumb face,” Dan responded teasingly, causing the eldest teen to roll his eyes, shaking his head and muttering about how immature Dan was.  
  
“You pulled the short straw with this one,” Brian said as he cast Arin a sympathetic look. “If you get sick of him, I am at least ten times cooler and funnier. Not to mention better looking.”  
  
“And now I’m getting sick of you,” said Danny as he pushed Brian off in the direction of the stage, willing him to leave them alone. “I’ll catch up with you later?”  
  
“You better had. You’ve got some serious explaining to do.”  
  
“Yeah, all the explaining, I got it. Now buzz off,” Dan insisted, making shooing motions with his hands whilst Arin watched on in amusement, a small grin on his face. He envied the friendship between these two, how close they clearly were and how they bounced off one another, teasing and joking and insulting with looks of what Arin guessed was a platonic affection. Brian rolled his eyes at Dan’s antics before hopping onto the stage,  giving them a wave before disappearing off behind a black curtain, leaving Dan and Arin alone again.   
  
“He seemed… Nice,” Arin commented, making Dan chuckle at his hesitation, glancing at the door and seeing the rest of the crowd being allowed in before he replied.  
  
“He’s an asshole, it’s okay. You can say it. Nice enough guy, but he’s still a massive dick.”  
  
“You guys are close,” the younger observed, making Dan just a little defensive, shrugging his shoulders noncommittally.  
  
“Brian and I go way back, we’ve been friends for years,” he explained.  
  
“It’s nice, the way you are,” Arin said, quiet, not meeting Dan’s eyes as he spoke, feeling like he’d struck a nerve with his previous comment and not wanting to anger his peer. “It’s cool just seeing people who are friends, y’know? I’m not used to that. And I’ve never seen you hanging around with him. Not that I usually see you hanging around anyway,” he added quickly, backpedaling to make himself seem less creepy. “But when I see you you’re usually on your own, or with scary girl. I’ve never seen Brian.”  
  
“He’s not in our school,” Danny explained, looping his arm through Arin’s as people started to pack in around them, getting ready for the show to start. “We took a music class, project, thing together one summer and we just hit it off.”  
  
“You play too?” Arin questioned, excited at the thought of Dan being in a band like Brian was. He didn’t know why; it was never something that was of particular interest to him before, but Arin was never very musical himself so it always fascinated him watching people play instruments. Not that he needed any additional reasons to admire Dan, his rational mind supplied.  
  
“Not really,” the lanky boy laughed, eyes on the stage now as the band came out, started to perfect the equipment which hadn’t been fully set up. “I’m learning to play bass, but I’m more of a singer.”  
  
“That’s so cool,” Arin thought aloud, not even realising he’d said it, also watching the stage where Brian was now stood behind a keyboard, along with an additional two guys; one with a mic stand and the other with an electric guitar, whilst a red haired girl got behind the drum kit. Dan turned to look at Arin when he heard the soft murmur of someone clearly impressed, and realised that Arin hadn’t meant to utter that. He smiled fondly, appreciating the younger guy’s profile, the admiration Dan had heard from him, the excitement he could feel buzzing off Arin as the lights dimmed. The bright stage lights came on above them to illuminate just that part of the room, and the colourful flow only added to his appeal. Arin looked great, and he was so sweet, it annoyed Dan that he even had to do this, that Arin was so wary of people that he didn’t trust Dan to not be a dick to him. Not that Danny was complaining; it gave him the chance to take Arin out on a not-date, but it was the principle behind it.  
  
Dan didn’t get a chance to think on it anymore, and his attention was drawn back to the stage when the guy with the microphone shouted a greeting, the crowd around them cheering and screaming back at him in response. They played their first song, and Dan hummed along to the somewhat familiar lyrics, starting to move to the beat. A few songs in, he and most others around them were jumping and attempting to dance, and Danny even got Arin to join in with him.   
  
It was packed, and the groups around them forced the pair even closer together, but neither of them minded or noticed, too engrossed in the loud music, the pleasant atmosphere, the pumped up feeling that came from watching live musicians. Every now and then one of the pair would watch Brian for a little while, cast a glance around at the other people on the stage and give a little of their attention to them, but for the most part, they enjoyed each other’s company. Sometimes Dan got a little too close than was necessary, or Arin would bump into him, and their eyes would meet, gazes lingering until Arin came to his senses and quickly looked away again, flushed, not knowing what the hell that look Dan was giving him meant.  
  
When Danny went to the bar, Arin insisted on going with him, incase they lost one another, and Dan didn’t even think twice before slipping his hand into Arin’s own, pulling him through the throbbing mass of people. He bought their drinks again and kept Arin close as they pushed back towards the stage, not quite able to return to their spot at the front, but they didn’t care. Their night was full of enjoyment, some songs that were covers which Arin knew, and some originals he loved just as much. They danced and sang and cheered, shouting to one another over the noise even as they shared the same space, forced together by the animated crowd around them, but it was fine.   
  
Arin couldn’t remember ever enjoying himself this much, and so when the band stopped and the curly-haired lead singer thanked everyone for coming, said this was their last song for the night, Arin couldn’t help the swell of disappointment which filled him as the last bar played, the last note rang out and silence came from the stage, leaving only the shouts of those around them. Dan took his hand again, holding tightly as people started to push their way back towards the door, the bar closed and band packing up on stage, leaving no reason for most to stay.  
  
“Normally I’d stick around for the after party,” Dan yelled, leaning down so his lips were next to Arin’s ear, breath warm on his cheek and arm snaking behind the other teen’s waist to get a more secure hold as someone barged into them. “But they can get kind of wild, and you don’t need to see Brian get drunk.”  
  
“It sounds funny,” Arin shouted in response, he and Dan both laughing.  
  
“Maybe next time, if we come on a weekend,” Danny replied, concerned about keeping Arin out too late when they had school in the morning. Arin had already gotten a bad impression of Dan to begin with, and he didn’t want Arin’s mother to do the same. Arin’s heart did a happy swoop at the casual suggestion that there even would be a next time, and let Dan keep his hold on his waist, hung back like Danny said to so they could leave when there wasn’t a swarm of people around. Arin had no idea what time it was, and he didn’t much care, was just happy to be spending a little more time in Dan’s company. He really wasn’t turning out to be as awful as Arin had expected him to be, and he’d take every pleasant surprise which kept cropping up and leading him to that conclusion.


	4. Chapter 4

Danny stayed close to Arin when they stepped outside, the backs of their hands brushing as they walked. The parking lot was largely empty because of the fact they had held back just a little so Dan could talk to Brian, meaning they missed the rush of people leaving the venue, heading out to their cars and going home. Arin was bouncing with the energy he still had left in him, riding the buzz of the gig and stupidly happy about the fact Dan had brought him, stayed with him all night and made sure Arin was enjoying.  
  
“I think you may have proved that you’re not actually a dick,” the younger of the two teens said, mouth quirked at one side, mouth upturned into a grin.   
  
“Oh, really?” Dan asked, smirking himself as he turned to look at Arin. “Then I must’ve done a pretty good job tonight, because you met Brian, and if being friends with him doesn’t scream asshole, then I’m guessing I made up for it elsewhere.”  
  
“He wasn’t too bad,” Arin chuckled, hair hanging in his face as he ducked his head. “And even if _he_ was a complete jerk, you’re still not the huge dick bag I thought you were. So I’m sorry for assuming that.”  
  
“It’s cool, dude,” Danny shrugged, his smile as warm as Arin’s skin felt where his arm brushed against Dan's, and he would’ve sworn that they weren’t this close before. “We’re friends now, right? I don’t give a shit if you hated me before. But now I know how much of a cool person you are, and I don’t want to be the guy who you thought I was. I’m not that guy.”  
  
“I know that now. Shit man, anyone who took five minutes to get to know you could tell that you’re not a hard ass like people make you out to be.”  
  
“Hey, I can be a hard ass,” Dan said defensively, giving Arin a playful shove and then immediately giggling, causing Arin to give a small laugh of his own.  
  
“Yeah, you’re a real tough guy,” he said sarcastically.  
  
“I am when I need to be,” Dan replied seriously, coming to a stop now as they reached his car, but neither of the pair made any move to get in. Dan didn't even reach into his pocket for his keys; his attention solely on Arin. “Don’t get me wrong, I _can_ be one of the problem kids. I’ve gotten into fights, and had shit with teachers who say I have an attitude or who give me shit for what I wear. And I’m not proud of it, but I can’t fucking stand when people think they can walk all over whoever they want and treat other people like dirt, so I do something about it. But I don’t have some weird superiority complex, and I’m not gonna bite off someone’s head if they look at me weird. People just like to talk, and I don’t know, I guess the rumour mill makes me sound worse than I am.”  
  
“And there are plenty of rumours in that rumour mill,” Arin added.  
  
“Exactly,” Danny sighed, heavily. “And that’s why I wanted to do this, y’know? To show you that just because everyone else thinks I’m a jerk, or a bully, or this intimidating asshole, it doesn’t mean I actually am. That day I bumped into you was like you’d come up against your arch enemy. Then you kept expecting me to give you shit, when all I wanted was to get to know you. And sure, I cause trouble sometimes, but I can still hang out with people, and have friends and be kind of decent to the people that I really care about.”  
  
Things went quiet as Danny and Arin both realised what the former had said, Dan internally panicking that he'd said too much, given too much away about his feelings and blown it. But after a few moments Arin met Dan’s eyes and gave him a small smile that was meant to reassure the lanky boy that he didn't mind, that he was in fact flattered that Dan seemed to feel this way even given the short space of time they'd had to get to know one another.  
  
“You care about me?” He asked when he found his voice again, still a little breathless as he did his best to ignore the fluttering in his chest, that feeling of astonishment at what Dan had just said.  
  
“Of course I do,” Dan admitted with an almost nervous laugh, glad that Arin didn’t seem to be freaking out, that he was smiling over what the way Danny felt about him. “I wouldn’t give a damn whether or not you liked me if I didn’t care about you in the first place. You seem really great, and I didn’t want you to hate me without even giving me a chance.”   
  
“Well, I don’t hate you, that’s for sure. I quite like you, actually,” Arin confessed, gaze lowered to the floor, and then it was Dan’s turn to go silent, full of awe and disbelief because maybe he wasn’t taking a shot in the dark after all, maybe he and Arin really could make something more of this whole thing than just a point proven, because Arin liked him and Danny sure as hell liked Arin, too. They stayed standing there, tension and sparks of something flying between them, like a storm brewing, and both Arin and Danny could feel it but weren’t quite sure how to handle it, what to do with the anticipation or the palpable tension of their situation.   
  
The air around them was chilly, the breeze cold as it wrapped around them. Arin told himself Danny was only stood this close for warmth, seeking the heat of another body inches away from his own. They were almost touching. It was too close, the distance between them to small for Arin to see Danny's face as a whole. Instead he got it in snapshots as he looked over his features, illuminated by the glow of the street light. His wild hair, made wilder by the night’s breeze. His lips, parted and smiling, chapped from the cold that cracked their skin. His eyes, outlined in dark pencil which made them seem impossibly brighter, even though they were dark themselves. His cheeks and the tip of his nose turned red with with the cold, Arin not daring to believe he could have been the one to bring that flush out, not on someone like Danny. His eyes, fixed, unlike Arin’s which darted about, Dan’s gaze steady and patient. Arin felt the weight of Dan’s stare without needing to see it, shuddered at the sensation of those pupils trained on his own face. It was intimate, sudden, and Arin needed to act, tried to listen to his mind as it screamed for him to step back or forward, to break the tension, to do _something,_ but he couldn’t move.  
  
Then Danny’s hand was there, tucking hair behind Arin’s ear in his trademark excuse to touch him, fingers trailing down a soft cheek. His touch lingered, the pads of his fingertips bringing a new warmth that bloomed across Arin’s skin, spread through his face and brought blood rushing to the surface. They were so close, Arin’s breath caught, held in suspense as he waited  for Dan’s next move, not knowing what to do himself, how he wanted to react. The fingers moved back on his face, touched the hinge of his jaw as Danny’s thumb rested on his rosy cheek.  
  
“Is it too soon to ask if I can kiss you?” He murmured, voice a whisper that carried away on the wind. He sounded as breathless as Arin felt, and that’s what reassured him that this was just as exhilarating and nerve-racking for Dan too, was what brought his senses and his voice back to him a little.  
  
“It’s not too soon to ask,” he replied easily, and Danny breathed a laugh through his nose, shuffled his feet forward to put even less space between them.

“It’s just too soon for you to say yes,” he went on, and Arin wanted to hate him that, for knowing him so well when really they barely knew each other. But he couldn’t hate Danny, not when he had that smile on his face, betraying a raw affection that made Arin feel like someone was sitting on his chest, putting a pressure on his ribs which made each breath he drew seem like a huge achievement. He couldn’t hate that look of understanding, the calm tone of voice void of all the anger Arin had expected from a refusal, from him turning down someone like Danny. Only he was starting to doubt there _were_  'people like Danny,' that there was anyone who could be compared to the boy who stood before him. Every moment with him was another another chip at his armour, another piece that fell from the mask which was Dan’s reputation, and showed who he really was underneath that. Arin hadn’t gotten much of that mask off, but he could see Dan was special, that he was simultaneously so much more and so much less than the rumours that followed him around school.  
  
The hand fell away from his face, and though he couldn’t hide his disappointed look, he could hold back words of protest. Dan was being fair, was respecting Arin’s boundaries and making this as easy as possible for him to deal with. Arin had to show him that same respect in return, couldn’t deny Dan and then ask for him back.   
  
“I had a good time tonight,” Arin said instead, because he needed to say something, couldn’t stand to just look at Dan and feel the affection in that gaze without offering something in return. And it wasn’t fair, really, not when they barely knew each other, and yet Arin felt like he’d known Dan forever, like this one night could have easily been a year, like they were old friends rocking the foundations of a home they’d built between them, over time. But there was no home and no years shared together, there was just tonight and that’s all Arin had. Though it was perfect, it just wasn’t enough, not for this, not for what Dan was asking, no matter how much Arin thought he wanted it, would want it further down the line.  
  
“I’m really glad,” Dan replied, his smile completely genuine, but Arin still caught the hurt in his eyes, saw Danny fidget in anticipation of escape. Dan felt guilty and embarrassed, wanted nothing more than to run away from this whole situation, to throw a pity party for himself about messing up his one chance of becoming good friends with Arin. Arin remembered Dan following him on his way home, how he couldn’t run away, and now it was his turn, because he wasn’t letting Dan escape either. “Sorry I made things weird,” Danny murmured finally, interpreting Arin’s prolonged silence as one of negativity, feeling like a jerk for having been the one to make the guy uncomfortable. “I shouldn’t have assumed anything.”  
  
“No, you didn’t!” Arin assured a little too quickly, seeing Dan start to close up again, watching his defences fall back into place and the school hall Dan come back, the Danny that scared freshmen and invoked admiration from his older peers. Arin wasn’t so fond of that side of Dan, not when he’d seen the sweet guy hiding underneath. “I’m not weirded out. It’s just… I need time. It’s so sudden that I haven’t got my head around it, and I… I’ve never done this before,” Arin sighed after another long pause, his head ducked to hide his embarrassment from the confession.  
  
“With a guy?” Danny said easily, like he’d been expecting it, and Arin could hear an understanding to his voice which calmed him, but there was also a hopeful lilt which brought those butterflies right back, nerves and excitement, because it implied Dan was in just as deep as Arin already. It was all so foreign to Arin, the feeling of affection beyond friendship, the positive attention from another person, the fact that someone even wanted to spend time with him and impress him and _kiss_ him, because that’s what Dan had asked for. It was scary just as much as thrilling, like going up the incline on a roller coaster, the deep rooted sense of fear, the feeling of your pulse racing as you’re pulled up, psyching yourself up for the approaching drop, the thrill seeker in you excited despite your base instinct to fear something this new and fast and extreme and dangerous.  
  
“With anyone,” mumbled Arin, too quiet, too incoherent for even his own ears to decipher what he'd said. It wasn’t surprise, then, when Dan immediately said:  
  
“Sorry? I didn’t get that.” And Arin sucked in a deep breath in an attempt to steady himself before repeating.  
  
“I’ve never done this with anyone. Girl or guy.”  
  
“Oh,” is all Danny managed to say, and Arin looked up, expecting humour and mockery, like there usually was, braced himself for Dan to start laughing. His eyes were already narrowed in defence, his brain forming plans to escape. He raised his head slowly, but his face fell when he saw not a trace of amusement on Danny’s own face, instead the expression there was one of pure shock. Dan hadn’t expected that. Their eyes met and Danny turned contemplative, looking Arin over and making him curl in on himself under the scrutiny, all while Dan remained silent, thinking. “Seriously?” Dan asked eventually, clearly astounded by this reveal, rather than the hilarity Arin had expected him to find in the situation.  
  
“I’m not exactly cool,” Arin sneered, self deprecating. “Most people are queueing up to push me or take my stuff, not to ask me out.”  
  
“They’re really that horrible to you?” Dan questioned, full of emotion, and Arin couldn’t take it, couldn’t handle that amount of hurt in Danny’s voice because he sounded more upset than Arin had ever been himself over something that he thought was so trivial.  
  
“They’re dicks,” he shrugged, the calm acceptance in his voice only serving to fuel Danny’s protective instincts, his anger and upset at these faceless people who thought they had valid reasons to bully Arin. He moved quickly, too quickly for Arin to really understand what was going on, and the next thing he knew Dan’s arms were around his waist, holding him in a tight embrace and turning his face into Arin’s shoulder.  
  
The younger boy was frozen in shock, not knowing how to respond, too surprised by the sudden display of affection to even think about raising his arms, returning the hug. Instead he stood there, comforted by Dan’s touch, by the warm breath he could feel, heavy against his cheek. Only Dan took his lack of response badly, sprung away from Arin after a few moments of nothing from him, and as Arin blinked wide, stunned eyes, he saw the mortified look on Dan’s face and finally had the sense to raise one of his hands, only it was too late.  
  
“Fuck, I’m so sorry,” Dan said hurriedly, sincere and scared. “Was that not cool? It wasn’t cool, shit, Arin, you just told me, I should’ve thought, I didn’t mean to-”  
  
“Dan,” Arin interrupted, a touch of laughter to his voice which made the older boy’s brow wrinkle in confusion. “It’s okay; I didn’t mind. You just… Surprised me a bit.”  
  
“I didn’t make you super uncomfortable or anything?”  
  
“No man, you’re good,” Arin assured, offering a shy grin as he held his arms open, inviting Dan back in for a purely platonic hug. Danny took the invitation gratefully, stepped back in and held Arin like he had done before, only now he felt more relaxed in Arin’s arms, more sure of himself.  
  
“I’m sorry you have to deal with that,” he murmured, close to Arin’s ear, the younger of the two closing his eyes and sucking in a deep breath, fighting back a shudder from the hot breath on the side of his face.  
  
“It’s fine, honestly,” Arin insisted, “Can we not talk about it?”  
  
“Sure,” Dan agreed, pulling back just enough so that he could look at Arin’s face, arms still encircling the younger teen. “You have to be home soon?”  
  
“Yeah,” he sighed sadly in response, slumping slightly at the realisation that this would have to end, that this one night couldn’t stretch on forever and that, at some point, Dan’s arms would be gone and they’d no longer be stood in a car park with no space between them. It made Arin a little worried, apprehensive to break this spell that seemed to be over them, because he didn’t know where they went from here, if this was just something that happened in the spur of the moment or if these feelings between them would stay, if they’d linger until the pair met again in the hallway and Arin remembered how out of his league Danny was.  
  
“I’ll get you back safe, and on time,” Dan assured, misinterpreting the worry he could feel coming off Arin.  
  
“Five more minutes?” The artist murmured, sounding like a petulant child, but Dan just laughed quietly, that sweet and melodic sound which made Arin grin and gave him indescribable feelings in his chest.  
  
“Sure thing, man. Five more minutes,” Danny agreed, arms wrapping even tighter around his friend because honestly, who was he to refuse more time hugging someone as great as Arin? They stayed there a little while longer, stood alone in the mostly empty parking lot with their arms around one another, neither wanting to let go but knowing that, soon enough, they’d need to. When Dan finally, reluctantly, let his arms fall away, he took Arin’s hand into his own instead, briefly holding it as he unlocked the door and held it open for Arin to climb into the passenger seat, where he sat in the dark, enjoying the quiet ride home, silent but for Dan’s music, already missing that comforting warmth in his palm.


End file.
